THE MOORS Directed by Jessica Fallico with Dancing Dog Productions at Waterloo Studios, Young St Waterloo
3.5 STARS
Dancing Dog Productions has made their debut with a bold and atmospheric presentation of The Moors by Jen Silverman at the new venue, Waterloo Studios. Running from March 8th to 16th, the production is providing valuable experiences for emerging theatre practitioners.
Set in an isolated parsonage in the English countryside, The Moors weaves a dark and twisted black comedy rich with gothic tropes often found in 19th-century novels. Drawing on references to the Brontë family, Silverman crafts a world where familial tensions and secrets fester in the remote corners of this crumbling estate. A governess arrives at a family that is fractured at its core—the father and mother are absent (presumed dead), the brother exiled to the attic, the older sister, Agatha, has taken control, while the younger sibling, Huldey, retreats into her own world, penning cryptic thoughts in her diary. The family unit is rounded out by a servant with a split identity and the family dog, the only male character in the play.
The play’s direction, which deliberately amplifies the tension between characters, showcases the profound misunderstandings and alienation they endure. What is especially striking in the narrative is the way trauma subtly informs each character’s behaviour, whether it’s Agatha’s need for control or Huldey’s dissociation from the pain of her surroundings. As a queer woman navigating societal pressures, Agatha’s power plays become an act of rebellion against the constraints placed upon her. The dog’s role, though, despite offering a unique angle of isolation, seems less convincing as a thematic adjunct to the narrative’s overall arc.
As for the cast, special mention must go to the sisters. Kalani Guillien as Agatha. Her performance, aided by a striking costume that beautifully symbolizes the constricting role of respectability and authority, allows her to embody the emotional undercurrents of a character who holds a family together by sheer force of will—and at a high emotional cost. Emily Smith as Huldey captures the disorder of her character building to a gross-out, gut-wrenching meltdown. The set design effectively conveys the decaying grandeur of the manor, which itself becomes a metaphor for the disintegration of the family.
Overall, The Moors by Dancing Dog Productions has done an admirable job of introducing Australian audiences to this dark comedy.
March 8th – 16th, 2025
